Zhemgang aims to reduce its poverty rate to 15 percent by 2029 and below 5 percent by 2034

Lhakpa Quendren

Zhemgang—If the shift from thatched-roof bamboo huts to sturdy homes with CGI roofs is a sign of rural prosperity, Zhemgang Dzongkhag appears to be leading the way in helping once-impoverished communities escape poverty.

As one of the poorest dzongkhags in the country, Zhemgang is steering a course toward socioeconomic transformation, aiming to reduce its poverty rate to 15 percent by 2029 and further to under 5 percent by 2034.

Khomshar Tshogpa of Bardo, Dorji Letho, said that meeting basic needs, such as better housing, will improve the physical and mental well-being of residents. “People here are gaining more exposure to and understanding of stable living standards, which motivates us to overcome economic hardship,” he says.

As more farmers are now venturing into large-scale cash crops such as mandarin oranges, cardamom, hybrid coffee, there is hope for greater success in poverty reduction over the next decade.

Sangay Pem, 29, from Bardo, has converted her two-acre plot into fields of cardamom and maize. Her first harvest is due next season. “We have nothing to sell or buy right now. Cardamom, the main cash crop, is less prone to wildlife damage,” she said.

In Phumchung, Karmala has planted mandarin trees and maize on his three-acre land. “Some mandarin trees have started fruiting, enough for self-consumption. However, cardamom is not growing well due to infertile soil,” he added.

Others, like Chey Chey in Berti, have diversified by growing rice and selling surplus vegetables in Tingtibi town and to eco-lodges. “The Berti Eco-lodge also buys vegetables from our community,” she said.

Determination and empowerment

For many, overcoming poverty and hardship is about breaking the cycle of dependence through self-determination.  Take 47-year-old Kuenzang Tobgay from Bardo. A year ago, he quit alcohol after nearly three decades. The change has been transformative. “I wake up early, start my day with tea, and work in the fields. My productivity has improved, and I feel motivated,” he said.

The father of four regrets about missed opportunities and his failure to fulfill his responsibilities toward his family due to addiction to alcohol.

“I used to wake up late and struggle to work after a night of drinking ara and sinchang. I would even buy alcohol from neighbours when it was not available at home,” Kuenzang Tobgay recalls. “When I look at my successful neighbours, I regret that I could have achieved the same if I hadn’t been drinking,” he said.

He is now focused on completing his two-storey house, which was left incomplete after the first floor due to financial issues.

He owns three acres of land and plans to revive one acre for cardamom cultivation next season. “I have already cultivated cardamom on 30 decimals of land, with the first harvest this season. This will help sustain our family,” he said.

Challenges and solutions

The Dzongkhag has the highest poverty rate in the country, with more than 41 percent of its population living below the poverty line in 2022, particularly in Bardo, Goshing, Pangkhar, and Shingkhar.

Eradicating poverty requires personal effort, public support, access to resources and opportunities, and a mindset for sustained growth. However, the poor state of roads remains a major challenge for the region.

Shingkhar Tshogpa Ngawang Kinga said that almost every village in Zhemgang is connected with farm roads, but the majority of these roads are not motorable during monsoon.

“These roads, constructed eight years ago, have yet to benefit residents and instead require frequent labour contributions,” says Tshogpa Dorji Letho. “There is no budget for maintenance.”

With separate budgets for monsoon restoration, the gewog administrations dedicate a JCB machine for clearing works during the monsoon, only to face the same issue in the following days.

A resident of Khomshar, Pema Dawa, said the bus service, which started a year ago, remains conditional due to poor road conditions. “We face many challenges,” he said, adding that hiring a private vehicle costs between Nu 10,000 and Nu 12,000 to travel to Zhemgang.

Considering these challenges, local government leaders and residents are calling on the government to improve the road between Khomshar in Bardo and Pantang in Phangkhar, due to the potential economic opportunities associated with the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC).

Phulabi Tshogpa Phurba Lhamo said that poor roads, including gewog centre roads, discourage farmers from commercial vegetable cultivation. “If the road is blacktopped, we could take our produce to the city. Otherwise, we will continue to be burdened by the same challenges,” she added.

Although Zhemgang produces vegetables, rice, cereals, and fruits, many people grow crops for self-consumption, discouraged by human-wildlife conflict, poor road networks, and a lack of reliable marketing opportunities.

“We still face the same issues we faced decades ago. After a taxing day of fieldwork, wild animals often damage crops at night,” Sangay Pem said, adding that some of her neighbours’ cattle were attacked by tigers.

Poverty interventions

Zhemgang is expected to make significant progress before the end of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, with a target to reduce the poverty rate to 15 percent by 2029 and to less than 5 percent by 2034. 

The dzongkhag aims to raise average annual household income from Nu 177,945 in 2022 to Nu 290,788 by 2029, increase GDP per capita from USD 3,400 to USD 5,000, and reduce overall unemployment to 2.5 percent.

Economically vulnerable households are expected to drop from 895 in 2022 to 325 by 2029, and below 100 by 2034, through a multi-pronged strategy focused on addressing the needs and challenges faced by those in poverty.

Zhemgang Dzongda Kesang Jigme said that the interventions include identifying economically vulnerable individuals and families for shelter support and renovation. “We are also exploring alternative support for those without dependents, particularly senior citizens,” he said.

“There are vulnerable households that are not covered by our regular projects. For instance, we initiated a coffee plantation with a 70:30 cost-sharing arrangement, but some households cannot afford to pay their share,” he added.

Also, given the high poverty rate in the dzongkhag, national and international agencies, non-profit organisations, and civil society organisations have funded a range of development projects.

The Join Together Society Korea, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) under the Jungto Society founded by Korean Buddhist master Pomnyun Sunim, has implemented a five-year project in Phangkhar, Goshing, Ngangla, and Bardo. The rural water supply projects in Goshing Primary School and Rebati Chiwog, Ngangla, were completed in October of this year.

Dzongda Kesang Jigme said that the project will support basic needs such as water supply, housing, school renovations, and medical assistance for the sick.

Two economic hubs, covering 40 acres in Tingtibi and 19 acres in Marangduth, Panbang, will be developed for cottage, small, and medium industries. “The facility will focus on both agricultural and non-agricultural processing, with opportunities in Gelephu Mindfulness City,” he said.

The plan is to transform Tingtibi into a commercial hub for Upper Kheng and Panbang for Lower Kheng. “This will boost town populations and ultimately create business and marketing opportunities for rural residents,” Kesang Jigme said.

Other initiatives include accelerating community-based ecotourism, improving human capital through education, skills training, and healthcare, promoting entrepreneurship, startups, and the private sector, and expanding rural and urban infrastructure, including transportation, roads, and services.